An apparatus for manufacturing semiconductor elements includes a vacuum processing apparatus, such as a film formation apparatus, an etching apparatus, or the like. The vacuum processing apparatus includes an electrostatic chuck that holds a substrate in a depressurized processing chamber. The electrostatic chuck includes a dielectric layer having an attraction surface and an electrode that applies a voltage to the dielectric layer to attract the substrate to the attraction surface. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2010-205813 describes an example of the electrostatic chuck. In the electrostatic chuck described in the publication, the dielectric layer includes a plurality of protrusions, and a top portion of each protrusion functions as the attraction surface. In such a structure, the degree of contact between a rear surface of the substrate and the protrusions affects the magnitude of the attraction force acting on the substrate.